"Parents based in the northern part of London is looking for an exceptional and experienced educator to guide their most junior child on his initial journey to becoming an English gentleman."
When reading this post, you might easily overlook the phrase "beginning" as just figurative language.
However, it may be the most significant part of this unusual employment listing, as it attempts to recruit a teacher for a one-year-old.
Many of submissions have now been submitted since the anonymous family posted their call for the £180,000 per year tutor, who needs to be "a uniquely qualified person".
Over the last few weeks, the post has received attention throughout the media, with numerous asking why?
Innovative Idea
Adam Caller, CEO and founder of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their quest, stated that notwithstanding early doubt, he viewed the concept "forward-looking", and "innovative".
When he met the family, he mentioned they appreciated the unconventional character of their demand, and how immature their son is.
Nevertheless, they clarified that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had held off until their elder sibling was five, and by that stage "cultural influence had by then set in".
But what did the family refer to by "cultural bias"?
It's "comprehensive", the expert replied. "The manner you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the elder child had picked up "really subtle, unspoken signals" from the family, and had assumed their cultural habits. The family told him they wished to avoid this pattern to repeat itself with their infant.
The plan: To bring in a English tutor, who should speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby from day one.
Osmotic Learning
"Much of the learning at the beginning here is kind of absorbed naturally," said the expert.
It's through this osmosis that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they want to impart.
He noted the tutor needed to be somebody who attended "prestigious academies – comparable categories of schools as the family hope to send their son to".
"The educator simply needs to be the appropriate candidate, they'll be performing things they don't even know they're doing, effortlessly," he said.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed him the successful candidate should ideally also have familiarity of or enthusiasm in horse riding, alpine skiing, artistic pursuits and musical activities so as to inspire the child in a diverse set of interests.
Additionally though, he stated the family wanted the tutor to enrol the child on a variety of lessons so the child would be "pony-riding and starting an instrument by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, helping their son become a "UK sophisticate" will result in success and provide access.
"Considering the pros and cons of that, because it's certainly a social class indicator," he adds.
But, in spite of all this tutelage in "English culture", could the child absorb alleged cultural bias from the multicultural family he is raised by in any case?
"Certainly", said he. "The parents understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'we should try and let's go as quickly as we can', because the cost of it is not a concern," he said.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who have similar reservations.
Peter Cui, chief executive of Blue Education, who provides private tutors, commented that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, forming one's identity, is something that must be grown into, not engineered."
He explained that he had relocated from China to the Britain at the time of childhood, and had been brought up understanding and embodying dual heritages. He continued to study at a prestigious UK institution.
"The concept that a single person can function as a embodiment of English culture, someone who can somehow impart the characteristics of a British gentleman to a one-year-old child, appears naive and impractical," he stated.
"In my experience, engaging a distinctly British tutor from babyhood will does not automatically achieve the goal they hope for.
"I did not have such a figure, and nevertheless I have been lucky enough to live several of the experiences they desire for their son."
He stated: "The truth is, self-identity can not be dictated from the external environment; it must be chosen, and it must originate internally."
Buying Britishness
Certainly, UK identity is something Adam thinks can be taught – and marketed.
"In my view the fact that the world holds us in this respect is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
